NU: Volleyball homestand continues this weekend

Published 8:00 pm, Thursday, September 16, 2004

After four early lead changes in game three, the score stood knotted at 13-13. The Timberwolves then took the lead for good on a kill by Vasiljevic and back-to-back aces by Maricic.

Maricic ended up with a match-high 16 kills, five digs, and four blocks to go with her six aces. Several of her kills and aces came when NU needed a momentum boost.

"She's a point producer, and a big-point producer," Koth said. "When you need a big kill or a big point on serve, she tends to do that. … She had her moments tonight where she was very average, and she had her moments where she was very sound. She just seems to pick those moments at the right time."

The Timberwolves collected 48 kills to LSSU's 28 and attacked at a .274 success rate, as opposed to the Lakers' .098.

"We played pretty hard," Engle said. "I thought we were pretty competitive after the first 15 or 20 points. It seemed like it took us a while to settle down."

"We let down a little bit later on (in the match), because the opponent wasn't that strong, and we knew that before the game," Vasiljevic noted. " … The good thing is that we came back (strong)."

Zivanovic led the Timberwolves with 38 assists to go with five digs. Sorokina had seven kills and five digs, while Dragana Todorovic had seven kills and Megan Young 10 digs for NU.

"We've been kind of getting ready for those opponents," Vasiljevic said of the Upper Peninsula schools. " … I think we are ready for them, and we cannot wait for Saturday."

"I think we'll be prepared in both of those matches, and obviously it'll be a good measuring bar for us," Koth added. "We were picked (to finish) second behind Northern Michigan, and I think we'll find out real quick if that's where we belong, or if they're the ones who need to be chasing us."